


Sleepless Nights

by forgottenjeevas



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga), Death Note: Another Note
Genre: Insomniac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 12:43:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11486637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgottenjeevas/pseuds/forgottenjeevas
Summary: When it comes to solving any case, L doesn't get much sleep. His mind is working, so he stares for hours at his computer screen, and because of this, he tends to notice interesting things.They happen when he least expects them, flickers of darkness in the already dark room. Figments of his imagination, or something worse?





	Sleepless Nights

**Author's Note:**

> After several months of being almost free, I've fallen back into Death Note hell haha

December 4th, 2013. 2:19 a.m.

Like every night for the past few weeks, his mind wouldn't shut down. It didn't seem to matter how tired and drained he was, L couldn't seem to sleep as well as he could before. Not that he slept normally, but his routine was rapidly declining like he'd never experienced before the current mass murder case. With an almost inaudible sigh, L put his right thumb to his lips in thought. The computer screen was on the same website, however that wasn't what he was worried about. The past couple of days, there had been flashes, brief flickers of movement out of the corner of his eye. 

The first time it was from his left, then a while later, just above the laptop screen. L watched with careful eyes, hoping to catch another glimpse and figure out what it was. He hadn't slept in quite some time, so it could be hallucinations... But something in L's mind was wary about the situation. The way the darkness of the room was a lighter shade than the shadows, it made L curious. So he waited, watching, but then the shadows stopped. Like they had never been there, they disappeared. 

The screen dimmed, indicating some time had passed. The bottom corner of the screen said it was 2:37 a.m.

L took his hand from his lips and reached in front of him, inches from tapping the space bar to keep the screen from shutting off. The man let out a startled noise and his eyes darted up as a hand appeared from above and snatched his wrist. L narrowed his eyes, pulling his arm towards himself. The hand followed, never once letting go of his wrist. A few more inches, and a face appeared in the dim artificial light of the laptop. 

L was shocked, taking in the face, so similar to his own, yet so different. His black shirt imitating L's, the obvious makeup to appear exactly like L, it made L regret not doing anything to prevent him from going crazy. It made sense, in a way, why he was like he was, but even L couldn't fix it now. 

The intruder crawled over the laptop, knee hitting the top and pushing it closed, only closing it completely when he was on the other side and staring at L.

L had backed up slightly, allowing the man to approach, but in the pitch black of the room, there was nothing he could do to get away. 

A small sound came from directly in front of him, the rustling of pulling something out of a pocket. Schwick. The man's face was illuminated by a single flame of a lighter, a very cheap one at that, judging by the size of it. 

L narrowed his eyes. "I would've thought you would be afraid of fire."

The man chuckled, letting the flame go out. Taunting. "You should know me better than that. After all, I did this to myself."

Silence. L had several questions, but he wasn't sure this was even real. He could be dreaming, it did happen occasionally. 

The man seemed to be waiting patiently in the dark, and L began to wonder what he was waiting for. As he made his way to his feet, L felt around, eventually hitting the far wall and flicking the lights on. The man was in the corner, watching him intently. L couldn't help but be annoyed. The last thing he wanted to dream about was this man, his successor gone criminal, stalking him. "How did you get out?" 

The man had been locked up in prison, supposedly the isolation ward, so it would have been all over the news if he escaped. Just another clue that he was dreaming. Then again, they could have kept it quiet, or they simply weren't aware he was missing yet. 

With a grin, the man tapped his head, his hand rough in texture and slightly trembling. If he felt the pain of his suicide attempt, he didn't show it. "Easy. But you'll figure it out soon enough." He followed L as he sat back down and opened the laptop. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

L didn't hesitate. "With a face like that, nobody would be happy to see you." 

The man laughed at that, the sound echoing throughout the room. "I'm glad you noticed. I thought you'd be wondering why I came, actually." He crouched down in L's signature position, grabbing the laptop and pulling it closer to him, typing all the while. When the website loaded, he gestured to the screen, and L tilted his head. "Since you're working on this case, I figured I'd help you out. Heart attacks are common, but these are too strange to be coincidence. And the victims are all criminals, as you've noticed, except the first one was different. A test to see how much power this murderer has. Surely you know they all connect?"

L glanced at his copy, trying to figure out what his plan was. "Every good criminal knows not to leave a trail, Beyond."

Beyond Birthday grinned, pulling up another website, a news coverage, live. "That's why I found it interesting. Interpol has, too. Only six days ago, yet they're still talking about it. Why would they still be discussing these events if they weren't important, I wonder." 

He was toying with L, and L knew it. But something about this didn't add up. Beyond escaped from prison just to tell him about something he already knew... But it wasn't a coincidence, was it? It couldn't have been, and Beyond had a point... With a glance at the man, L put his thumb to his lips. "Kira."

Beyond snickered. "Could be, but look at this." A few clicks of the keys, and a different report was pulled up, this one from the local police. "Interpol is having a big meeting tomorrow. I would issue the help of Japan's police. Broadcast a 'national' broadcast in the Kanto region, since it's heavily populated. I believe Kira is hiding in Japan, since his first victim was Kurou Otoharada."

L considered it. Everything made sense, and he had thought about the idea earlier... "Any other thoughts?"

Beyond Birthday got to his feet, hunched exactly like L, and turned towards the door. "Kira is intelligent, he will not hesitate to kill you if he gets the chance. The way Kira thinks is much like you and I, doing what he believes is the right thing, but clearly he has a terrible sense of justice."

L watched B, piecing everything together. The way Beyond was talking, he had something in mind, and it didn't appear to be a bad idea. But this wasn't like Beyond at all, talking about justice and the 'right thing'... B was smart, perhaps even clever, but he too had a twisted sense of justice. Killing people to make an unsolvable case for L, creating a fake identity for the last murder, but it was actually suicide. This B was more calm about everything, planning and thinking it over several times at least. This wasn't like Beyond, unless he had a sudden change of heart while he was locked up in prison... But that was unlikely. Murderers and criminals hardly ever change their ways, it just wasn't human nature to change like that. "Where are you going?"

Beyond paused in his tracks, glancing over his left shoulder and smirking at L. He would figure it out in time. "Get some sleep, Lawliet. I have one more stop to make."

L got to his feet, grabbing B's arm and turning him around, suddenly not tired. "Only one person knows my name."

Beyond made a noise that could've been a snicker or a sigh depending on how you thought about it, pulling his arm out of L's grasp. "I suppose it won't hurt at this point." With the smallest movement, their eyes locked, and L almost stumbled backwards in surprise. B's eyes had the slightest red glow to them, and it couldn't have been a trick of the light, not at that angle... "I was born with these eyes, allowing me to see the names and lifespans of everyone around me. Yours included."

The detective paused, a thousand questions racing through his mind. B couldn't be lying, why would he? What could he gain from lying? "That's why you blamed yourself for A's death, isn't it?"

Beyond snapped then, and the psychopath L knew too well was back, pinning L to the wall before L had a chance to react. His eyes were glowing brighter now, staring into L and most likely past him at this point. L had said the wrong thing, and it couldn't be taken back. "You know nothing, Lawliet!" He seethed, L unsure how to stop this. "It was my fault, but I was a coward! I let it happen, because I was scared!" B hung his head, not in defeat, and released L slowly. His voice was a whisper now. "A's death was my fault, and I am paying for that mistake." 

L understood, though not as much as he wanted to. "I'm sorry. I know he was close to you." He earned a snarl from Beyond, but no further words or threats. "What do you intend to do, Beyond? Are you going to go back to California, or do I have to catch you again?"

Beyond was quiet, no doubt thinking over L's words. After a while, he nodded, as if making up his mind. "I'm going to get some information for you. However, I doubt we will see one another after this."

L didn't hesitate. "You're going to go after Kira." When B didn't respond, L began walking towards the door. "Come on. You must be hungry." 

With a slight smile, almost grateful, Beyond followed his rival, though that didn't sound correct anymore. He didn't hate L as much as he used to, and with all that time locked up to think, he knew he had to redeem himself at least a little bit before he died. The two walked through the door, L leading the way to the kitchen and letting B eat whatever he liked. Watari would ask questions, but L would explain when the time was right.


End file.
